Anatomical models are usually used in laboratory or teaching environments and tend to be representative of the actual body parts being displayed. Thus, an anatomical model of a skeleton might average five-to-six feet tall and one-to-two feet wide. Similarly, an anatomical model of a human lung might average six-to-twelve inches long and three-to-eight inches wide. Models having these types of dimensions are satisfactory as educational guides if they are stationary and/or housed in a dedicated location. However, using such models in a mobile environment can be somewhat challenging.
For example, a doctor seeing a plurality of patients that suffer from stomach ulcers might wish to illustrate a particular ulcer pathology to such patients. Currently, the doctor must carry a medical text illustrating such condition that can be quite heavy and cumbersome. Alternatively, the doctor might refer to an illustrated card showing the condition. However, such two-dimensional representations fail to realistically depict a stomach with a condition that the patients can touch, feel, manipulate and understand. Patients that are not provided with a means for a hands-on demonstration tend to feel removed from the doctor's explanation and are therefore less likely to appreciate the nature of their condition.
Thus, the present inventor has devised a pocket-sized, three-dimensional anatomical model that is easily stored and transported in a doctor's pocket. The anatomical model of the invention is proportionately sized relative to an actual anatomical body part, and thus provides a doctor with the ability to demonstrate the patient's condition using a three-dimensional representation that the patient can touch and understand. The pocket model of the present invention is also flexible and bendable for durability and so that it can be manipulated and transported without causing injury to the person storing it in one's pocket or the like.